How the Moai Walked
According to Rapanui oral tradition, the great stone moai statues were carved at the Rano Raraku quarry and then walked to their final ahu (ceremonial platforms) across the island. The moai walked at night, powered by mana from the ancestors channeled through the kahuna (priests). Using a system of ropes and rocking motions, teams would chant and coordinate to make the massive statues 'walk' upright, step by step, sometimes for miles. The largest moai, Paro, walked over 10 kilometers before taking its position at Ahu Te Pito Kura. One legend describes how a moai stopped mid-journey when the vi